Mother Nature and conditions at the worksite have something in common--they both can fool ya!

For example, mud is wet and soft during the day. But at night it can freeze and become as hard as concrete. A vehicle left sitting in mud at the end of the day will be frozen in its tracks the next morning.

And it doesn't matter if you're in the DEUCE, D5B or D7G tractors, or M9 ACE--you can't rock the vehicle loose. You'll end up with a broken track, snapped drive sprocket teeth and a vehicle that's still stuck.

Here's how to prevent that problem before the sun goes down:

* Park your vehicle on high ground if possible. Water drains downhill, so the mud won't be quite as deep.

* Avoid parking in deep ruts worn by other vehicles. Some are deep enough to bottom out your vehicle's hull. Leave it there and you won't be moving until spring!

* Use a shovel to scoop out mud that has collected on and between roadwheels and drive sprockets. If there's no mud, it can't freeze.

* Put a board between the ground and any moldboard. That way the mud can't freeze the moldboard in place.

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